Archbishop Vincent Nichols on gay marriage

15 March 2012 Last updated at 23:47 GMT

Head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, Vincent Nichols, has likened committed gay relationships to "friendship".

Asked by Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman what he would say to a gay couple who came to him seeking marriage, he said he would tell them that their relationship was the basis for a "profound friendship", not marriage.

The government has launched a 12-week consultation on allowing gay couples in England and Wales to marry.